President of Bolivia

President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia Presidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
Coat of arms of Bolivia
Incumbent Evo Morales since 22 January 2006
Residence	Palacio Quemado
Appointer	Direct Popular Election
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Simón Bolívar
Formation	11 August 1825
Website	www.presidencia.gob.bo

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The President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish: Presidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia) or President of Bolivia (Spanish: Presidente de Bolivia), is head of state and head of government of Bolivia. According to the current Constitution, the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term, renewable once. Prior to the 2009 constitutional reforms, if no candidate received half the popular vote, the president was chosen by a vote in a joint legislative session from among the top two candidates (prior to 1995, the top three candidates were eligible). The 2009 constitution introduced a second-round runoff election.

The current President of Bolivia is Evo Morales, since 22 January 2006. He was elected in 2005, and reelected in 2009 and again in 2014.

History

During its more than 180 years of independence, Bolivia has been ruled by the military leaders who fought for independence, the leaders of the War of the Pacific, representatives of the aristocracy, and democratically-elected leaders. Also, the history of the presidency has involved civil wars, coups and violence.

Different titles have been used, such as "Liberator of Bolivia" (used by Simón Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre), and "Supreme Protector" (by Andrés de Santa Cruz).

The following table contains a list of the individuals who have served as President of Bolivia.

List of Presidents of Bolivia

#	Picture	Name	Began office	Left office	Title(s)
1		Simón Bolívar	11 August 1825	29 December 1825	Liberator of Bolivia
2		Antonio José de Sucre	29 December 1825	18 April 1828	Liberator of Bolivia (29 December 1825 – 19 June 1826) President (19 June 1826 – 18 April 1828)
3		José María Pérez de Urdininea	18 April 1828	2 August 1828	President
4		José Miguel de Velasco Franco	2 August 1828	18 December 1828	Acting President
5		Pedro Blanco Soto	18 December 1828	1 January 1829	Provisional President
6		José Miguel de Velasco Franco	1 January 1829	24 May 1829	Acting President
7		Andrés de Santa Cruz	24 May 1829	20 February 1839	Provisional President (29 May 1829 – 15 August 1831) President (15 August 1831 – 20 February 1839) Supreme Protector of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation (28 October 1836 – 20 February 1839)
8		José Miguel de Velasco Franco	20 February 1839	10 June 1841	Provisional Supreme Chief (20 February 1839 – 16 June 1839) Provisional President (16 June 1839 – 15 August 1840) President (15 August 1840 – 10 June 1841)
9		Sebastián Ágreda	10 June 1841	9 July 1841	Provisional Chief
10		Mariano Calvo	9 July 1841	22 September 1841	Acting President
11		José Ballivián	22 September 1841	23 December 1847	Provisional President (22 September 1841 – 15 August 1844) President (15 August 1844 – 23 December 1847)
12		Eusebio Guilarte Vera	23 December 1847	2 January 1848	Interim President
13		José Miguel de Velasco Franco	18 January 1848	6 December 1848	Provisional President
14		Manuel Isidoro Belzu	6 December 1848	15 August 1855	Provisional President (6 December 1848 – 15 August 1850) President (15 August 1850 – 15 August 1855)
15		Jorge Córdova	15 August 1855	21 October 1857	President
16		José María Linares	21 October 1857	14 January 1861	Provisional President (21 October 1857 – 1858) Dictator for Life (1858 – 14 January 1861)
		Government Junta	14 January 1861	4 May 1861	Members: Ruperto Fernández José María Achá Manuel Antonio Sánchez (to 9 April 1861)
17		José María Achá	4 May 1861	28 December 1864	Provisional President (4 May 1861 – 15 August 1862) President (15 August 1862 – 28 December 1864)
18		Mariano Melgarejo	28 December 1864	15 January 1871	Provisional President (28 December 1864 – 15 August 1870) President (15 August 1870 – 15 January 1871)
19		Agustín Morales	15 January 1871	27 November 1872	Supreme Chief of the Revolution (15 January 1871 – 21 January 1871) Provisional President (21 January 1871 – 25 August 1872) President (25 August 1872 – 27 November 1872)
20		Tomás Frías Ametller	28 November 1872	9 May 1873	President
21		Adolfo Ballivián	9 May 1873	14 February 1874	President
22		Tomás Frías Ametller	14 February 1874	4 May 1876	President
23		Hilarión Daza	4 May 1876	14 April 1879	President
24		Pedro José Domingo de Guerra	14 April 1879	10 September 1879	President
25		Narciso Campero	19 January 1880	3 September 1884	President
26		Gregorio Pacheco	3 September 1884	15 August 1888	President
27		Aniceto Arce	15 August 1888	11 August 1892	President
28		Mariano Baptista	11 August 1892	19 August 1896	President
29		Severo Fernández	19 August 1896	12 April 1899	President
		Government Junta	12 April 1899	25 October 1899	Members: José Manuel Pando Serapio Reyes Ortiz Macario Pinilla Vargas
30		José Manuel Pando	25 October 1899	14 August 1904	President
31		Ismael Montes	14 August 1904	12 October 1909	President
32		Eliodoro Villazón	12 October 1909	14 October 1913	President
33		Ismael Montes	14 October 1913	15 October 1917	President
34		José Gutiérrez	15 October 1917	12 July 1920	President
		Government Junta	13 July 1920	28 January 1921	Members: Bautista Saavedra José María Escalier José Manuel Ramírez
35		Bautista Saavedra	28 January 1921	3 September 1925	President
36		Felipe S. Guzmán	3 September 1925	10 January 1926	Provisional President
37		Hernando Siles Reyes	10 January 1926	28 May 1930	President
		Council of Ministers	28 May 1930	25 June 1930	Members: Alberto Díez de Medina Germán Antelo Arauz (to 17 June 1930) Franklin Mercado David Toro José Aguirre Achá Fidel Vega Carlos Banzer Ezequiel Romecín Calderón (from 17 June 1930)
38		Carlos Blanco Galindo	28 June 1930	5 March 1931	Chairman of the Military Government Junta Members: José L. Lanza Filiberto Osorio Bernardino Bilbao Rioja Emilio González Quint José Ayoroa
39		Daniel Salamanca Urey	5 March 1931	27 November 1934	President
40		José Luis Tejada Sorzano	28 November 1934	17 May 1936	President
41		Germán Busch	17 May 1936	20 May 1936	Chairman of the Government Junta
42		David Toro	20 May 1936	13 July 1937	Chairman of the Government Junta
43		Germán Busch	13 July 1937	23 August 1939	Chairman of the Government Junta (13 July 1937 – 28 May 1938) President (28 May 1938 – 23 August 1939)
44		Carlos Quintanilla	23 August 1939	15 April 1940	Provisional President
45		Enrique Peñaranda	15 April 1940	20 December 1943	President
46		Gualberto Villarroel	20 December 1943	21 July 1946	Chairman of the Government Junta (20 December 1943 – 5 April 1944) Provisional President (5 April 1944 – 6 August 1944) President (6 August 1944 – 21 July 1946)
47		Néstor Guillén	21 July 1946	15 August 1946	Chairman of the Provisional Government Junta
48		Tomás Monje	15 August 1946	10 March 1947	Chairman of the Provisional Government Junta
49		Enrique Hertzog	10 March 1947	22 October 1949	President
50		Mamerto Urriolagoitía	22 October 1949	16 May 1951	Acting President (22 October 1949 – 24 October 1949) President (24 October 1949 – 16 May 1951)
51		Hugo Ballivián	16 May 1951	11 April 1952	Chairman of the Military Junta Members: Antonió Seleme Vargas Humberto Torres Ortiz
52		Hernán Siles Zuazo	11 April 1952	16 April 1952	Provisional President
53		Víctor Paz Estenssoro	16 April 1952	6 August 1956	President
54		Hernán Siles Zuazo	6 August 1956	6 August 1960	President
55		Víctor Paz Estenssoro	6 August 1960	4 November 1964	President
56		René Barrientos	5 November 1964	26 May 1965	Chairman of the Military Junta
		René Barrientos + Alfredo Ovando Candía	26 May 1965	2 January 1966	Co-Chairmen of the Military Junta
57		Alfredo Ovando Candía	2 January 1966	6 August 1966	Chairman of the Military Junta
58		René Barrientos	6 August 1966	27 April 1969	President
59		Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas	27 April 1969	26 September 1969	President
60		Alfredo Ovando Candía	26 September 1969	6 October 1970	President
		Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces 1970	6 October 1970	7 October 1970	Members: Efraín Guachalla Ibáñez Fernando Sattori Ribera Alberto Albarracín Crespo
61		Juan José Torres	7 October 1970	21 August 1971	President
		Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces 1971	21 August 1971	22 August 1971	Members: Andrés Selich Chop (Chairmen) Hugo Banzer Jaime Florentino Mendieta
62		Hugo Banzer	22 August 1971	21 July 1978	President
		Víctor González Fuentes	21 July 1978	21 July 1978	Chairman of the Military Junta
63		Juan Pereda	21 July 1978	24 November 1978	President
64		David Padilla	24 November 1978	8 August 1979	Chairman of the Military Junta
65		Wálter Guevara	8 August 1979	1 November 1979	Acting President
66		Alberto Natusch	1 November 1979	16 November 1979	President
67		Lidia Gueiler Tejada	17 November 1979	18 July 1980	Acting President
		Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces 1980	18 July 1980	18 July 1980	Members: Luis García Meza Tejada Waldo Bernal Pereira Ramiro Terrazas Rodríguez
68		Luis García Meza Tejada	18 July 1980	4 August 1981	President
		Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces 1981	4 August 1981	4 September 1981	Members: Waldo Bernal Pereira Celso Torrelio Óscar Jaime Pammo
69		Celso Torrelio	4 September 1981	19 July 1982	President
		Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces 1982	19 July 1982	21 July 1982	Members: Natalio Morales Mosquera Óscar Jaime Pammo Ángel Mariscal Gómez
70		Guido Vildoso	21 July 1982	10 October 1982	President
71		Hernán Siles Zuazo	10 October 1982	6 August 1985	President
72		Víctor Paz Estenssoro	6 August 1985	6 August 1989	President
73		Jaime Paz Zamora	6 August 1989	6 August 1993	President
74		Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada	6 August 1993	6 August 1997	President
75		Hugo Banzer	6 August 1997	7 August 2001	President
76		Jorge Quiroga	7 August 2001	6 August 2002	President
77		Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada	6 August 2002	17 October 2003	President
78		Carlos Mesa	17 October 2003	9 June 2005	President
79		Eduardo Rodríguez	9 June 2005	22 January 2006	President
80		Evo Morales	22 January 2006	Incumbent	President

Living former Bolivian presidents

As of May 2015, there are eight former Bolivian presidents who are currently living at this time, the oldest Bolivian president being David Padilla (1978–1979, born 1927). The most recent death of a former president was that of Juan Pereda (1978–1978), who died on November 25, 2012. The most recently serving Bolivian president to die was Hugo Banzer (1971–1978)(1997–2001), who died on May 5, 2002.

President	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth (and age)
David Padilla	1978–1979	(1927-08-13) August 13, 1927
Luis García Meza Tejada	1980–1981	(1929-08-08) August 8, 1929
Guido Vildoso	1982–1982	(1937-04-05) April 5, 1937
Jaime Paz Zamora	1989–1993	(1939-04-15) April 15, 1939
Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada	1993–1997 2002–2003	(1930-07-01) July 1, 1930
Jorge Quiroga	2001–2002	(1960-05-05) May 5, 1960
Carlos Mesa	2003–2005	(1953-08-12) August 12, 1953
Eduardo Rodríguez	2005–2006	(1956-03-02) March 2, 1956

Historical reputation

In 1983, a poll was taken by the newspaper Última Hora to determine which seven historical presidents were regarded as most significant. The "winners" were Antonio José de Sucre, Andrés de Santa Cruz, Manuel Isidoro Belzu, Mariano Melgarejo, Aniceto Arce, Ismael Montes, and Víctor Paz Estenssoro.

Latest election

Main article: Bolivian general election, 2009

Candidate		Party	Votes	Percentage	Deputies	Senators
	Evo Morales Ayma	Movement for Socialism	2.943.209	64,22	88	26
	Manfred Reyes Villa	Plan Progress for Bolivia – National Convergence	1.212.795	26,46	37	10
	Samuel Doria Medina	National Unity Front	258.971	5,65	3
	René Joaquino Carlos	Social Alliance	106.027	2,31	2
	Ana María Flores	Social Patriotic Unity Movement	23.257	0,51
	Román Loayza	People	15.627	0,34
	Alejo Véliz	Peoples for Liberty and Sovereignty	12.995	0,28
	Rime Choquehuanca	Social Democratic Bolivia	9.905	0,22
		Valid votes	4.582.786	94,31
		Blank votes	156.290	3,22
		Null votes	120,364	2,48
		Total votes	4.859.440	100	130	36
Source: Comisión Nacional Electoral

Presidential succession

In the event of the death or permanent incapacity of the President, the Vice President of Bolivia would assume the office. The President of the Senate and the President of the Chamber of Deputies are third and fourth in the line of succession. In the 2005 political crisis, with all of these positions exhausted, Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé, the Chief Justice of the Bolivian Supreme Court, assumed the presidency. Under the 2009 Constitution, however, the assumption of power by the President of the Chamber of Deputies automatically precipitates an election within 90 days.

Acting President

In the case of temporary incapacity or absence from the country, the title of Acting President (Spanish: Presidente en ejercicio) is transferred to lower officials according to the order of presidential succession. In September 2012, Senate President Gabriela Montaño became the first woman to assume this office since the presidency of Lidia Gueiler Tejada.

See also

• History of Bolivia
• Politics of Bolivia

External links

• (Spanish) Gallery of Presidents of Bolivia